


The 100 Year Chronicles: Book 1: War

by AvatarStarburst



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Air Nomad Genocide, Angst and Feels, Betrayal, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Prequel, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25326244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvatarStarburst/pseuds/AvatarStarburst
Summary: 100 years ago, Kuzon and Hotaru, two of the friends Aang left behind, learn of Fire Lord Sozin's plans to wipe out the Air Nomads and launch a desperate effort to save them, but with only a handful of survivors and the Fire Nation gearing up to advance against the Earth Kingdom, stopping the war will be far more difficult than anyone bargained for, especially with the Avatar still missing.
Relationships: Aang & Gyatso, Aang/Original Character
Kudos: 12
Collections: KCAWS WIP Fest 2020





	1. Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> I began writing a version of this story months ago, as some of you may recall, but I was stopped in my tracks by writer's block. Then it finally came to me, a decent picture of where I want this story to go and how I want it to end, that said, getting there, involved making certain changes and fixing certain flaws. So I deleted the original version and I'll be reposting it here, every Thursday or every other Thursday, from here on out until the end of the story. This one may also get a sequel or two, I don't know for sure yet though, we'll have to see.

Chapter 1: Sunset

_It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time before all this happened when we were just normal kids, and everyone was happy. I refuse to let the memory of what this place once was fade. I can still see it all, in my memory, the fruit trees are green and teeming with fresh mangos with winged lemurs hanging from their branches, young air benders are training in the courtyards under the watchful eye of their guardians, and sky bison are soaring all around, that’s how it was supposed to be, how it used to be… before… that day. – Hotaru Inouye_

100 Years Ago:

August 24th, 1 BG

Doragonzu (An Island in the South-Eastern Fire Nation)

Hotaru Inouye’s large, dark blue eyes burst open, she sprang to an upright sitting position in her large, four-poster bed, having instinctively grabbed and unsheathed her sword from its display hooks above her bed. Silently pushing the red silk blanket to the side, holding her sword at the ready, she got up and moved towards the door on the right side of the room. She heard a creaking sound coming from somewhere further down the hallway, sliding the door open, she made her way towards the source of the sound.

“Aang? Is that you? I knew you’d show up eventually…” She said, but there was no answer. Aang would have answered her. She stiffened. There it was again, a solitary creaking footstep. “Who are you?” She asked, but still, the intruder didn’t answer. She could just make out the shape of someone slightly shorter than herself coming toward her. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her sword as she prepared to defend herself if necessary. “Show yourself!” She demanded. “I’m warning you!

“Hotaru, calm down. It’s me.” Said a familiar voice. Then a small flame burst to life, seemingly in midair, until a young fire bender with a stocky build and a wide, round, face came into view.

“K-Kuzon?” Hotaru stammered. “What are you doing? It’s late! You can’t just break into someone’s house and sneak around in the dark! I almost attacked you just now!”

“I know. I’m sorry for scaring you but; I need your help. Something terrible is about to happen, and I can’t stop it on my own. You’re the only one in the Fire Nation I can trust with this Hotaru.” Kuzon replied.

“What are you talking about?” She pressed.

“I heard my Dad and Grandpa talking earlier. My dad said that the Fire Lord has given him orders. They’re planning to attack the Air Temples, and Dad’s been assigned to lead the assault on the Southern Temple.” Kuzon admitted.

Hotaru’s eyes were the size of melons, her jaw dropped, seemingly to the floor. Every hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Then, seeing the expression on her friend’s face, she pushed away her initial shock. “Kuzon,” Hotaru began softly, “you’re not responsible for his actions.”

He wouldn’t meet her eye, his fists were balled so tight Hotaru was surprised he wasn’t bleeding yet, and his carotid artery was pulsating rapidly. She couldn’t blame him. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have your own father not only participate in but lead an attack on your best friend’s home.

“But what am I supposed to do? I know Aang isn’t there but-but what about Monk Gyatso and the others?! They’ll all be killed! I can’t just sit back and watch, but I can’t fight them all on my own either. I’m just one kid!” Kuzon’s voice was raised in both pitch and volume and Hotaru could hear an undercurrent of anguish beneath the fear.

She grabbed him at his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace. “Calm down. Listen to me. You won’t have to fight them alone, and we’re not going to let them get away with it. Understand me? You came to me for help, and you have it. We’ll put a stop to this, somehow…”

After a few minutes, his breathing and heartbeat slowed and steadied back into their usual pace, and his panicked expression was replaced by a determined glare, barely visible as Hotaru’s eyes adjusted to the darkness.

“I’m sorry I freaked out. What do we do?”

“That’s more like it,” Hotaru replied with a reassuring smile. “When is this supposed to happen?” She asked.

“On the day of the Great Comet.”

“That’s only three days from now.”

“No one is coming within sight of the Air Temples until then, but Dad’s fleet is leaving tomorrow morning. They’re taking those new, coal-powered steamships, that’s the fasted way to get everyone into position, and the quicker and closer to the attack they actually move in, the less likely it is that the Air Nomads will figure out what’s going on. Dad told Grandpa that their goal is to trap them and so that none can escape, and then,” Kuzon paused, his eyes flashed with panic once more but only for a second, he gulped hard, swallowing his terror at what he was about to reveal, “Kill them all.”

“They can’t possibly expect to move fast enough. Even with the comet and the steamships, they’ll be seen before they get there. Maybe it won’t be soon enough for everyone to escape, but some of them definitely will.” Hotaru protested.

“They’ll surround the island and then, when the Great Comet appears, the fire benders will come at the temple from all sides. That way anyone who manages to escape the building risks getting caught by the ships.”

“Ok, but what about the others? Did they say anything about plans to attack the airbenders who live outside of the temples, like in Feng Zhi?”

“Not specifically, but Dad did say that the ultimate goal is to completely wipe out the Air Nomads. To do that he’d _have_ to attack the valley, and the foothills of the mountains around the Southern, Northern, and Eastern temples wouldn’t he?”

“Yes, and even then there’d be those who weren’t home at the time. Ok, ok… looks like our only chance is to warn everyone.” Hotaru replied, pushing past Kuzon and practically running down the stairs. He followed.

She paused in front of one particular room on the main floor. “Koji! Get up! I need you!”

Kuzon heard rustling behind the door before it slid open revealing Hotaru’s only remaining vassal, a boy her own age whose family had served hers for generations. He stood there looking bleary-eyed and confused with his burgundy servant’s robes and chin-length dark hair looking uncharacteristically messy. “What’s going on?” He replied sleepily.

“Pack at least two weeks' worth of supplies and get Taiyo ready, and step on it. Kuzon and I have a long flight ahead of us.” Hotaru replied.

Koji was clearly confused; but, likely out of respect for his young mistress, he didn’t ask. He simply nodded and did as he was told.

Satisfied, Hotaru turned her attention back to Kuzon. “We’ll never reach the Northern or Eastern temples in time, I’m going to send them each a warning via messenger hawk.” She explained as she ran over to her writing desk and used her own fire bending to light the oil lamp while taking out a piece of parchment and fumbling around for her paperweights.”

“Good plan except, aren’t we risking the navy intercepting your messages?”

“Not likely,” Hotaru replied as she started writing. “The rest of the family might be gone, but the Inouye family name still carries some weight. They wouldn’t dare open private documents bearing my family’s seal.” Then, once she had finished two copies of her warning, she rolled each one up and tied a red ribbon around it. She then heated a small tray of wax, pressed, used a small metal tool to place a small amount on top of each of the knots, and pressed her family seal into the tiny mounds of wax, flattening each one into the image of a dragon circling around the character for ‘courage’.

Kuzon followed her as she went outside to an enclosure full of a half-dozen messenger hawks, hook out two, gave each one a copy of the message, and sent them flying to the north and the east.

“What now?” He asked.

“How fast can you go home, get supplies, and back here?” She asked.

“Um, a couple of hours, I know I can be back before sunrise. Why?”

“Because it’s best if we leave while it’s still dark. We’ll take my dragon. We’ll go to Feng Zhi first, then continue north to the Western Temple, once we’ve done that, we’ll double back toward the Southern Temple. With any luck at all, we’ll reach the Southern Temple the night before the attack.” She explained. “The navy is in for a surprise. They won’t get away with this, now go, and get back here as fast as you can.”

Kuzon nodded and set off back in the direction he’d come from.

While Kuzon was gone, Hotaru made her own preparations, putting on a fire-proof, dragonhide bodysuit under her black yukata and fingering her thick, black, elbow-length hair into a thick braid, making two smaller braids out of the shorter sections on each side, and slipping her sword through her belt.

By the time he returned, Hotaru was waiting in the back garden, standing beside a dark gray dragon with flecks of red, a gift from her fire bending master.

Kuzon had only ever had one run-in with dragons before, and ultimately, it hadn’t gone that well. He stood there in armor with shoulder spikes shaped like dragon teeth, and still, it took all his resolve to not show fear as he approached the beast. “Um, Hotaru, do we have to take Taiyo?” He asked tentatively.

Hotaru nodded. “Don’t be a baby. This is the fastest way, even faster than a sky bison. Besides, as long as you’re not a poacher and you don’t mean me, or any of the people Taiyo knows I care about any harm, he won’t hurt you. Hurry up. It’s nearly sunrise. We’ve got a long flight ahead of us.”

“If you say so,” Kuzon replied, climbing into the dragon’s saddle behind Hotaru.

“Alright Taiyo, time to go,” Hotaru said a second later. Immediately, the dragon spread his massive wings and pushed off the ground into the sky. They were off.


	2. Warning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuzon and Hotaru race to warn as many airbenders as possible.

# Chapter 2: Warning

Feng Zhi was a valley in the northern Fire Nation with mountains on two sides and the ocean at either end. The land there was lush and green, but the high winds and the valley’s tendency to flood made it a less than desirable place to live for most Fire Nation citizens. So, instead, it had long been occupied by a small community of Air Nomads, who used the rain-soaked soil to grow rice and fruit, which they farmed and shared communally. Their houses were simple square structures two or three stories high and built on stilted foundations so that the floodwaters would flow harmlessly under them.

“So, how should we do this?” Kuzon asked when they landed just outside the village. “Should we climb the bell tower and ring the bell to gather everybody in the square and then tell them?” He asked.

“No. Remember it’s our nation’s navy who’s behind this attack, even though we want nothing to do with it. It’s practically inevitable that some of the people here won’t take the warning seriously if it comes from us. So, I think our best bet is warning someone I know will trust us and letting them handle the rest.” She replied, walking toward one house in particular.

“Ok, but who would that be?” Kuzon asked as he followed her.

“Aang’s parents. Feng Zhi is Aang’s home village,” she said.

“Huh,” Kuzon replied. “I knew most Airbenders lived outside the temples, and that villages like this one existed, but I don’t think Aang ever told me which one he was from.”

“You probably didn’t ask,” Hotaru reminded him. “ I’ve only met them a few times, and only been here once before now; but they’re the ones most likely to believe us, and the rest of the people in this valley respect his father, Rohan. They’re more likely to listen to him than us.” She said, walking towards one particular house; but she froze at the base of the ladder leading onto a raised front porch.

“Hotaru! We’re kind of on a time crunch here. Are you going to knock or what?” Kuzon asked.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” she replied.

“What’s wrong?” Kuzon asked.

“The last time I was here, I came looking for Aang right after I found out he’d disappeared. I asked his parents where he was if they’d heard from him at all. I don’t know why, Afterall, this is the first place the monks would have looked for him, but I thought he might come home,” she explained. “They didn’t even know he was gone.”

“The monks didn’t even write to them about what happened?” Kuzon asked.

“Gyatso did, but I beat that message here. You should’ve seen their faces, I promised that I’d find him but I haven’t yet. Now here I am, about to give them even more bad news.”

“Well, think about what could happen to them, and everyone else living here if we don’t say something,” Kuzon suggested. “Think about how Aang would feel if we let that happen.”

Hotaru tried to picture it, but the thought was too horrible and she pushed it away. “You’re right. I have to do this,” she said, marching right up to the door and knocking.

“I’ll get it,” said a woman’s voice. The door opened to reveal a small-framed, bony, woman with delicate features, large gray eyes, and long, wavy black hair, the front of which was shaved so that her hairline was even with her ears and the sky-blue arrow tattoo on her forehead, was on full display. “Ah, Hotaru, always a pleasure to see you, my dear.” She said with a smile as she looked down at her guests. “And who is this?” She asked, eyeing Kuzon.

“Oh, this is Kuzon, he’s a friend of mine and Aang’s,” She replied.

Kuzon smiled at the woman and bowed.

“So what brings you here? Did you find…” Sarabi began.

“Unfortunately no,” Hotaru said, cutting her off. “I wish, but actually, this is about something else. We have reason to believe that the Fire Nation army and navy are about to go on the offensive and that Air Nomads are the targets. For your own safety, everyone needs to leave this valley. Leave the Fire Nation, you’ll be much safer hiding in the forests of the Northern Earth Kingdom, at least for the next few days anyway.” Hotaru paused, she hoped it would only be a few days, but if they were right about what the Fire Lord was trying to do, well, she didn’t even want to think about that. “Where’s Rohan?”

“He’s out in the rice fields, it’s almost harvest season. He and the others are checking the crop to see how many people it's going to take to bring in the harvest before the Autumn rains wash it away. I’ll go get him.” She said, running out towards the fields, jumping down from the platform as though it were a single step and running towards the rice fields.

Sarabi’s husband Rohan was a tall man with large gray eyes that were narrower than his wife’s, chiseled features, and a small, thin, black mustache. The top of his head was shaved but he did have hair on the lower half of his head and a long braid that went down his back.

“Rohan…” She called as she ran toward him.

“Sarabi? What is it, My Love?”

“We have a serious problem.” She replied, launching into recounting what Hotaru had just told her.

Rohan nodded, and jumped up onto the bell tower at the north end of the village, ringing it loudly until every person in the valley was gathered at its base.

In a deep, booming voice, aided by his airbending, Rohan addressed his village.

“Listen, everyone! It’s been brought to my attention that it’s likely we could be attacked within the next few days. Our safest option is for everyone to evacuate immediately. Everyone gather your belongings and get to a sky bison, we’ll meet at the end of the valley in an hour and fly east around the mountains, sky bison with children in their saddles should fly at the center of the herd.” He told them. His voice allowed for no doubt and no refusal, as soon as he jumped down from the tower the rest of the village dispersed and started getting ready to leave.

“That was amazing Sir,” Kuzon commented.

“It was nothing. All I did was tell the truth. We should really be thanking you, kids, for coming here to warn us.”

“Well our journey isn’t over yet, we still have two Air Temples to warn.” Hotaru cautioned.

“Then you’d better be off now, we can handle things from here,” Rohan replied. “Thank you again, Hotaru, for everything.” He added.

She nodded and then she and Kuzon got back on her dragon and left.

***

By the time they reached the Western Air Temple, it was almost midday. There wasn’t a moment to waste. Hotaru and Kuzon dismounted, used ropes to propel themselves down into the temple on the underside of the cliff they had landed on, and immediately started looking for the Western Temple’s council of elders. That is until Hotaru was approached by someone she knew.

“Hotaru? What are you doing here?” asked a familiar voice.

Hotaru turned her head and saw Malu, a friend she’d met through Aang, walking up to her. Malu had just turned eleven, she had short black hair which she kept clipped back in a spiky bun behind her head, delicate features, and large blue-gray eyes. She wore a knee-length yellow dress, yellow leggings, and knee-height brown boots with a hooded, orange poncho.

“Oh, hi Malu, I didn’t see you there. Do you remember Kuzon?” Hotaru asked.

“Sure do,” Malu replied. “Please tell me you’re here because you finally found Aang…”

Hotaru sighed and shook her head. “Unfortunately no, but it is important. This might sound weird, coming from two outsiders, but we need to speak to the Elder’s Council immediately.”

“Then follow me.” She said, leading them across a raised stone bridge and into one of the upside-down towers hanging off the cliffs.

Their destination was a large, round, stone chamber deep within the temple, where five women sat meditating peacefully on raised platforms, the one in the center being taller than all the others. Unsure, Kuzon and Hotaru stood behind Malu, and let her take the lead.

“Is this them?” Kuzon asked.

“Shhhh…” Malu whispered. “Just let me introduce you.” Then she turned to the council and bowed. “Mother Superior, these two are friends of mine from the Fire Nation. They have important information for us.”

Mother Superior was, surprisingly, the youngest of the five, her long black hair was only beginning to show flecks of gray, and she looked upon them with gratitude rather than annoyance. “Very well. Step forward young ones.”

Kuzon and Hotaru came closer to where the council was sitting. Hotaru spoke first. “The army and navy are on their way here. They mean to destroy the temple and everyone in it. You need to evacuate the temple immediately.” She informed them.

Mother Superior’s eyes widened in disbelief. “So, this day has finally come. Very well then, we will ready the sky bison and evacuate into the western Earth Kingdom. Thank you young ones, for doing what is right, even though it goes against your own nation’s wishes. Go now. Get yourselves out before the Fire Nation realizes they’ve been betrayed. Rest assured, the temple will be abandoned by this afternoon.” She said, standing up and nodding for the other members of the council to follow her and warn the rest of the temple.

“We’ll stay and help you evacuate,” Kuzon said without thinking.

“No.” She replied. “If you wish to help us further then go and warn our brothers at the Southern Temple.”

Hotaru put a hand on his shoulder. “She’s right Kuzon, every second we don’t warn them, the fleet gets closer and closer to the Southern Temple. We need to go if we’re going to reach them in time. Let’s go while we still can.”


	3. To Do What is Right

Chapter 3: To Do What is Right

Less than an hour later they were back in the air when a sky bison came up from under them and fell in line on the right of Hotaru’s dragon, and she recognized its rider.

“Malu? What are you doing here? Why aren’t you headed towards the Earth Kingdom with everyone else?” Hotaru asked.

Tugging on the reins, Malu moved in closer to the dragon while still being careful not to get in the way of his wings. “I’m coming with you. I can help. I won’t just run and hide.” She said firmly.

“Malu, you know he isn’t there right?” Kuzon asked.

“He’s right, no one has seen Aang in more than six months,” Hotaru reminded her.

“I know that, (flagged for possible revision) but I’m still worried about Gyatso and Shuhei and all of the others. I won’t just hide out in the woods while my friends are in danger.”

“Ok, but stay close.” Hotaru cautioned.

She nodded but shot back a determined glare. I’m going to do whatever is necessary.

It took the group until dusk the following day to reach the Patola Mountains, and they saw the fleet of Fire Nation battleships already getting into position below them fifty miles out from the temple. 

“Why aren’t they trying to shoot us down? Malu asked. 

“Because their goal is to take the temple by surprise while the comet is visible. Attacking us now would give away their position.” Kuzon explained. 

As soon as they saw the temple itself come into view, they didn’t waste any time climbing the stairs up from the foothills of, landing instead in a scarcely used courtyard on the northern side of the temple complex. 

“Alright, we’re finally here. Now, which way do we go to warn the elders?” Hotaru wondered out loud.

“I honestly have no idea,” Malu admitted. 

“How do you not know? You’re an Airbender!” Kuzon exclaimed.

“Yeah, and I train at the Western Air Temple. I’ve only ever been here for festivals and Aang’s tattoo ceremony. I don’t know this place well enough to even know who all is on the council, much less where any of them would be right now.” 

“Guys, arguing about it isn’t going to solve anything. We’ll just have to find somebody to ask. 

“Ask what?” 

Hotaru turned to see who said that and saw Shuhei standing near the archway at the south end of the courtyard. 

At fifteen, Shuhei was one of the oldest boys training at the Southern Temple. He was tall for his age with a thin build of pure muscle. Shuhei was known for being level headed and had the respect of his peers, being something of an older brother figure to the younger boys. Hotaru had always liked him, but after the last time they’d seen each other, she wasn’t so sure anymore. 

“Hi Hotaru, good to see you again.” He said. There was hesitation in his voice as if he didn’t know how to feel about her anymore either. “What brings you guys here? For some reason, it seems like everybody we know is showing up today. Bumi got here an hour ago, He said he had a bad feeling that something big and ‘not good’ was about to happen.”

“He’s right. We need to speak to Gyatso and the other elders immediately. It’s important.” She replied.

“Well, if that’s the case you’re out of luck. The council is in a closed meeting right now, no one is allowed to interrupt them or hear what they’re talking about.”

“We don’t have time to waste waiting for them to finish! We have information that they need, now.” Kuzon protested. “It’s a matter of life and death.” 

“He’s right. Shuhei, this can’t wait. We’ll deal with the elders, just take us where we need to be.”

“Ok, fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He replied, leading the group to an interior courtyard with a similar set up to its counterpart at the western temple, only this one was blocked by a large wooden gate that appeared to be locked from the inside. They could hear several voices coming from inside.

Kuzon pulled on the handles and the gates shook but didn’t open. “How do we get in there?” He asked.

“Well, we have a few options. We could climb the wall over there.” Hotaru suggested, pointing toward the stone wall that surrounded this courtyard. “Or, we could burn it, or break it down. Or, we could just stand out here banging on it until they answer.”

The group was so busy discussing their best option for getting into the council meeting that they didn’t even notice when the gates were opened from the inside to reveal a man with black hair in a top knot and almond-shaped golden eyes, wearing a black Yukata similar to Hotaru’s.

“Or, we could just let you in.” The man said, more to get their attention than anything. 

“Master Fumio!” Hotaru exclaimed, bowing respectfully at the sight of him, the rest of them followed her lead. “What are you doing here?” She asked.

“Apparently, the same as you kids. When I heard what the army and navy were planning to do, I came as quickly as I could and warned the monks.” He replied.

“That’s why Monk Pasang called for a closed meeting of the elders' council.” Shuhei realized.

“That’s correct, we’ve been discussing what to do about the impending attack, how to ensure the safety of the people and animals who live here. The issue is whether you all have a better chance of survival by evacuating while you still can, or if it would be better to try to defend the temple. I’ve offered to help with whatever the council ultimately decides.” Master Fumio explained. “Come inside and hear the final vote."

Hotaru, Shuhei, Malu, and Kuzon followed Master Fumio inside and listened as the five old airbenders finished their discussion.

“We should start evacuating immediately. It’s suicide to stay here.” Monk Tashi exclaimed. Monk Tashi was a grumpy-looking old man with bushy eyebrows and a long beard that stuck out from the bottom of his narrow chin in a straight line. He was scowling bitterly as he eyed his fellow council members.

“If they truly have us all surrounded, then what good is it to try to run? Even if we did manage to get everyone out, they would still come after us. Without the temple, we would find ourselves even more vulnerable. I recommend we stay and do everything we can to hold our position,” Gyatso replied. 

It was obvious they’d been going back and forth like this for a while, and the fact that Tashi and Gyatso disagreed on what they should do wasn’t a surprise. Hotaru knew for a fact that the two of them had been at odds for almost a year. The fact that Tashi’s scheming was likely one of the biggest reasons that Aang had run away and disappeared had only widened the rift between them. Everyone who knew Gyatso or Aang knew that they loved each other like family, that Gyatso saw him more as a grandson than a mere student. Yet, even though it was Gyatso who had a reason to be angry, it was Tashi who had remained bitter and distant toward his fellow monk.

Hotaru’s gaze drifted to the end of the row of monks, there sat Afiko, the youngest person on the elders' council and its newest edition. He was a shrewd-looking man with a long black beard and narrow gray eyes. She watched as he eyed his fellow council members and tried to decipher his thoughts, but his expression proved impenetrable.

Monk Pasang motioned for Master Fumio to step forward. He obeyed. “Fumio, is it true that the Fire Nation’s navy means to have us completely surrounded?”

“That is their plan, yes. When I arrived, the ships weren’t here yet, but they will be soon if they aren’t already.” He confirmed.

“The ships are already here. We passed them on our way.” Kuzon told them. “By now, everyone is in position. They won’t move in until the Great Comet is visible in the sky, but the net has already been laid and it’ll only get tighter from here on out.”

“How do you know that?” Monk Tashi demanded. “You’re just a child.”

“I’m a child whose father is leading the attack against you. I overheard his plans; I’ve seen his ships surrounding this place on all sides. Right now, they’re far enough out at sea that you can’t see them, but they’re here. They’ll slowly tighten their noose around this place and then, when the comet is finally visible and we firebenders are at our most powerful, they’ll rush you all and once.”

“They probably sent you here to lead us right into a trap!” The old man snapped back.

“Tashi, may I remind you what you’re really saying when you make such accusations? I was found in the foothills of these fountains, alone, as a small child. This council’s predecessors took me in and raised me as one of your own. This is as much my home as it is any of yours and I will defend it and the lives of everyone in it! We’ve come here purely out of a desire to see you all survive this coming storm!” Master Fumio Bellowed.

“My master speaks the truth. We’ve come here to help you, so please…trust us…” Hotaru added.

“You guys do realize we’ll all be labeled as traitors by our own nation for what we’re doing right? We have nothing to gain by doing this except to save our friends’ lives! That’s what we’ve come to do!” Kuzon added.

“I see no reason to doubt their intentions.” Gyatso cautioned. “I’ve known Fumio since he lived here as a boy. He is an honest and honorable man. Hotaru is his student and a friend of several of our young ones, as is Kuzon. They are willing to put their lives and their freedom on the line for our benefit. We owe it to them, and ourselves, to trust them.”

“Well then let’s go, now, while we still can!” Afiko exclaimed, speaking for the first time, his whole body shaking beneath his yellow and orange robes.

“That would be unwise given our present situation, Afiko. The opportunity for escape has already been missed.” Gyatso replied.

“You’d have us all killed then? Is that it?” Tashi demanded.

“Silence! Afiko, Tashi, I know you both mean well, and your fear is understandable. However, I am inclined to agree with Gyatso. I believe our guests speak the truth. Based on what they have revealed to us, our best chance is within the temple walls. We will get the little ones to safety in the bison caves beneath the temple, I’ve already sent word to the villagers in the foothills by way of that young earthbender that they should all come up and take refuge here. Those who can, will defend the temple.” Gasang concluded.

“I’ll be staying as well.” Master Fumio added.

Hotaru looked from Kuzon to Malu and then back to the elders. “So will we.”

“Good, we will need all the help we can get,” Gasang replied gratefully. “Shuhei, gather up all the boys under the age of ten and take them to the bison caves.” He added, looking directly at the young airbender. “Make sure they’ve got enough light to see by and food to last them three days at least, but also make sure they’re well hidden. It’s best if the untrained eye can’t even see that there’s an opening, or more importantly, that everyone is inside, once you’re through. Is that understood?

“Yes Sir.” He replied with a bow, then he left to do as he was told. 

“The Great Comet will be here tomorrow. We all need to prepare ourselves. The outcome of tomorrow’s events will determine the fate of the Air Nomads.” Gasang stated, as though he thought the people around them needed reminding, which, of course, it was difficult to imagine they did.

_ So that’s it then, _ Hotaru thought to herself.  _ Tomorrow, we fight the Navy for the safety and lives of the Air Nomads. Either we beat them, or we die trying. Aang, wherever you are, I will defend your people. I swear to you on my life. I won’t let the Fire Nation put you in the same position I was in when we met.  _


	4. The Betrayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the hours before the actual attack, Hotaru and Shuhei air their feelings and investigate the possibility of an inside man.

Chapter 4: The Betrayer

By the time the meeting was over it was dark out and Bumi had arrived with the refugees from the base of the mountains. The monks had offered all their visitors rooms within the temple for the night, but Hotaru didn’t feel like sleeping inside. So many thoughts, feelings, and memories were twisted up inside her, it felt as though she’d explode if she slept in an enclosed space. So instead, she returned to the northern courtyard where her group had landed hours earlier, and where Taiyo was waiting for her.

“Thanks for waiting for me,” She said, scratching the dragon’s snout. “Mind if I sleep out here with you tonight?” She asked.

Taiyo gave her a knowing look and yawned affectionately.

“Thanks,” she said with a smile, petting the dragon again. Then she saw his eyes turn to look past her and focus on something else, something behind her. When she turned around, she saw Shuhei. He was clearly waiting for her, but standing several feet away, as if he was afraid to get to close to Taiyo.

“Oh… hi Shuhei, I thought you were turning in for the night.”

“Hotaru,” he began, “can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?” He asked, motioning for her to join him at a spot further down the stone fence bordering the courtyard, looking out over the ocean.

“Ok,” she replied, joining him, “what about?”

He didn’t look at her, he just kept staring out at the moonlit horizon. He seemed to be considering how best to phrase what he wanted to say. “Why did you come here? Why do you want to help us? I know you do want to help, but the last time you were here, you were pretty angry at almost everyone here. So why do it? Why still show up and risk your life for us?” Shuhei asked.

“First of all, just because most of you were acting like idiots doesn’t mean any of you deserve to die. Also, frankly, part of the reason I was so mad at you, in particular, is because I know you're so much better than that. If I hadn’t known that the only way all the other kids would’ve treated Aang the way all of you did, was if you told them to, I never would’ve believed it was you who said the things he mentioned in the note he left.”

“Really?” Shuhei asked, perking up at what seemed like a compliment.

“Don’t get too excited.” She cautioned, shooting him a bad-tempered look. “Why bring this up now anyway?”

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for what I said and everything that happened because of it.”

“I’m not the one you owe an apology to Shuhei. Whether or not to forgive you isn’t my decision to make. So if you're looking for absolution, you’re looking in the wrong place.”

Shuhei wanted to say something else, but Hotaru’s tone told him the conversation was over.

Hotaru’s expression softened. “We should get some sleep, we’ve got a rough day ahead of us tomorrow.”

“I know that, but some of us might not even be here after tomorrow! That’s why I’m trying to settle this now!” Shuhei snapped back.

“Well, you’re out of luck. The person you really need to apologize to, the person you actually hurt the most, isn’t here. I’ll forgive you when he does.”

“Ok then.”

This is strange, Hotaru thought to herself, Shuhei isn’t usually this… tense, or this open. What’s gotten into him? I wonder… “What’s got you so scared anyway? You’re acting like someone trying to absolve their regrets in case something happens to them. It’s not like you to be spooked this easily, or by anything really.”

“Who said I’m scared?” he asked, his hackles raised.

“You’re trying too hard to convince me you’re not, maybe trying to convince yourself too,” she replied, giving him a dubious look.

Shuhei sighed dejectedly. “Alright fine, maybe I am a little, jumpy.” He looked behind him, as though he was afraid someone might be listening. “I’m not so sure the Fire Nation is our only or even biggest problem.” He said when he was convinced they were actually alone.

“What could be worse than the Fire Nation Navy?” Hotaru asked, stunned.

“Just a feeling,” he replied, trying to brush it off.

“Shuhei…”

“Well, you’re Fire Nation but you’re here. What if one of our people is on their side?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Just a feeling, but think about that for a second. If I’m right, who knows what kind of info the navy might already have? They could have the layout of the temple and know where all the secret rooms are, it could put us at a real disadvantage tomorrow. The only things we have going for us right now is they think they have the element of surprise and they don’t, and this is our home, we know every nook and cranny like the backs of our hands. If we lose that as an edge…”

“You’re right, that would be trouble. Whatever happens, tomorrow happens. We can’t change what the navy does or doesn't know, but we know they’re coming, and that counts for something. If there is a traitor hiding here somewhere, I’m pretty sure they’ll reveal themselves during the battle tomorrow. If that happens, I’ll gladly crush them myself. There’s no excuse for treachery.” Hotaru assured him.

“Says the girl who’s betraying her homeland by warning the people their navy is about to attack.”

“That’s different.” She said.

“I don’t see how.” He replied.

Hotaru sighed, turned to stare longingly out at the waves.

“It’s complicated.” She told him. Seeing that he was looking for a more complete answer, she decided it was better to just explain. “I never knew my parents, Dad was killed in some kind of accident more than a month before I was born. Mom died in childbirth, I was her third, and she was pretty old to be having more kids. After she died, my sister, Hanna, who was fifteen when I was born, took me in and tried to raise me as her own. Then, when I was three, an epidemic came to our island and it took her,” she paused, her eyes aching with tears. A few escaped, but she wiped them away and hoped Shuhei didn’t notice. “After that, our brother, he was the oldest, brought me to a tiny, struggling village on the opposite end of the Fire Nation and left me there with nothing but the clothes on my back.”

Shuhei stared at her with his jaw dropped and his eyes wide. “How in the world did you survive? You were only three years old!”

“It wasn’t easy, whenever I could, I would run errands for the villagers in exchange for food, or eat out of their garbage. I slept in an abandoned house. It was falling apart, but it was better than sleeping in the dirt. I scraped by like that for more than two years. Then the harvest failed and pretty soon there wasn’t enough food to go around for the people who did have homes, and jobs, and families. After that happened, no one would let me do favors for them, and no one wasted even the scraps. I’d never really had enough but before the crop failure, I could at least scrape by. After that, I could hardly find anything to eat at all. I almost starved to death, not just for food, but I figured out pretty quickly that no one in that town cared whether I lived or died. I started to give up, not just physically but mentally.”

“But you’re alive, so what happened after that?”

“Aang happened. He saved me, without even realizing it, he saved me. That was the day we became friends, and he’s always been there for me ever since. It’s because of him that I met you, Malu, Kuzon, Bumi, even Master Fumio. You guys, all of you, are more family to me than anyone in my own family, and definitely more than the Fire Nation in general. So I’m not betraying anyone, I’m being loyal to the people I really care about. If the Fire Nation can’t understand that then so be it.”

“You’ve got guts Hotaru. I’ll give you that.” He replied, but he seemed distracted, he turned to look at something he’d seen out of the corner of his eye.

“What’s up?” Hotaru asked, trying to figure out what he was looking at.

Shuhei’s head swiveled back around. He moved in close and whispered, “I’ll tell you in the morning.”

“O…k….”

“Just trust me,” Shuhei insisted, with his eyes locked on hers in a hard stare.

Hotaru wanted to protest, but something about the way he looked at her told her that it was better to just go with it and not question him right then. It was obvious that something besides the obvious was bothering him, but he’d made it clear that this wasn't the time to discuss it.

***

Hotaru woke with a jolt when she felt a gentle hand shaking her shoulder. When she opened her eyes she saw that it was Shuhei, his gray eyes stared at her intently as he put a finger to his lips, signaling her not to make a sound. It was still dark, the sun was only beginning to rise.

“Come with me,” he said, offering his hand to pull her to her feet.

She accepted. “What’s going on? Where are we going?”

“We can’t let anyone hear us,” he cautioned.

“Shuhei, what are we doing?” She pressed, careful to keep her voice at a whisper.

“I’m pretty sure that one of the monks is working with the Fire Nation,” he said. “If I’m right, we need to find out who and what they might have told Fire Lord Sozin.”

Hotaru grabbed his arm to stop him. “Wait, hold up. What makes you think one of the monks is working with the Fire Nation?” She asked, shooting him a dubious look.

“Last night when we were talking, I saw two of the monks arguing with each other on the other side of the balcony,” Shuhei admitted.

“Oh, now I get it, that’s what had you distracted last night, isn’t it?” Hotaru asked.

He nodded.

“But, how is two of the elders talking to each other that unusual?” she pressed.

“It wouldn’t be, usually, but I heard them talking about something that had been brought in. They didn’t say what it was, but it seemed like it was some kind of weapon. They accused each other of bringing it here,” he explained.

“Why didn’t you mention this last night?” Hotaru pressed, the hair on the back of her neck and along her arms standing on end.

“They saw us. If I had brought it up to you right then, and we’d gone looking for whatever this thing is they’re talking about, whoever the real traitor is would’ve known, which means he would’ve either told the Fire Nation that we knew or worse. He could’ve kept us from participating in the battle,” He explained.

“I guess that makes sense,” Hotaru admitted, “but what do we do now?”

“We investigate. We try to figure out which one of them betrayed us and what they did. I think we should start by looking through their rooms while everyone’s at breakfast,” Shuhei suggested.

“Where do the elders sleep anyway?” Hotaru asked.

“Up there,” he replied, pointing up to a tower high on the north side of the temple.

Only then did Hotaru realize they’d been headed toward it this whole time.

“Ok, but won’t someone notice us sifting through their rooms?”

“We’ll have to make sure we don’t get caught, if anyone sees us, they’ll tell Monk Tashi and Monk Afiko. Plus, even if it turns out I’m right about this, that’s a lot to explain,” Shuhei admitted, kneeling so that Hotaru could climb on his back.

She hesitated for a second, but climbed on, tightly gripping his shoulders. “Let’s do this,” she agreed.

“This isn’t going to be easy. Whatever you do, don’t let go. It’’s a long way down from up there,” he told her, throwing his glider into the air and jumping to grab on, soaring up to the north tower where the members of the elders’ council slept.

The stone tower consisted of a single spiral staircase with several bedrooms along the way to the top. The rooms all looked roughly the same, but there were only two that they were interested in.

“Monk Tashi sleeps near the top, Monk Afiko’s room is two floors below that,” Shuhei explained. “We’ll start with Monk Tashi’s room. I really don’t think it’s him, but if someone comes, it’ll be easier to escape from lower down, so we should start near the top while we still have plenty of time.”

The pair climbed the stairs to Monk Tashi’s room and went inside. It looked like a normal bedroom, not unlike many of the others in the temple based on what Hotaru remembered from previous visits. The walls were made of the same stone blocks that the tower itself was made of, there was a narrow wooden bed with only a thin mattress on top of the wooded base in one corning, a writing desk and a wooden dresser lined the opposite wall, with a tall, narrow bookcase between them.

“Everything sure looks normal in here,” Shuhei commented with a twinge of relief in his voice.

“Yeah well, I’m sure if Monk Tashi was working for the Fire Nation, he wouldn’t leave the proof laying around out in the open,” Hotaru pointed out as she started going through the drawers.

“True,” Shuhei agreed as I looked under the bed, “but I’m not seeing anything under here. You?”

“Not so far. He’s good... sneakier than I expected.”

“What are you talking about Hotaru? So far, we haven’t found a single thing to suggest Monk Tashi is guilty,” Shuhei reminded her.

“Well, that doesn’t mean he isn’t!” She whispered though it sounded to Shuhei like she would be yelling if this weren’t a stealth mission. “I mean, at the very least we know for a fact he’s a jerk. I wouldn't put this kind of thing past a guy like him,” she added.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb Shuhei. You’re his student. How could you not know?” She snapped. “After you, said what you said, and made the other kids stop playing with Aang during you’re free time, your beloved master took it one step further, way, way too far if you ask me. He convinced the rest of the council that Gyatso was being too soft on Aang. So, it was decided that he and Gyatso should be separated, and Aang sent away to finish his training at the Eastern Air Temple with no travel privileges. What you did hurt him, but what Monk Tashi did was the final straw that made him run away,” she explained.

Shuhei was aghast, for a minute he just stood there with his gray eyes the size of melons and his mouth hanging open. Then he sunk onto his mater’s bed and put his head in his hands.

“I knew Monk Tashi envied Gyatso for having Aang as his student, but I never thought he’d do something like that. He went way too far, what he did... that’s just cruel,” he replied; “but that’s still not proof that he’s working with the Fire Nation.”

“What? Why can’t you accept that Tashi can’t be trusted? After what he did to Aang and Gyatso, how can you possibly still think he’s a stand-up guy?” Hotaru demanded.

“I’m not saying he is. It was an awful thing to do, but he’s not the only one who was blinded by jealousy. I was too. Aang is a prodigy, he’s the youngest airbending master in history. I have years more training under my belt, but he earned his tattoos almost a year ago and I still haven’t, then it turned out that he was the Avatar and I just, let jealousy take over. I’m ashamed of what I did. I’m trying to redeem myself. I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t allow Monk Tashi at least the opportunity to do the same.”

“Yeah but...”

“Also, just because he’s a jerk, and he’s done some mean things, that doesn't make him a traitor. I mean, why would someone do that?”

“Money, safety…” Hotaru began.

“Safety? Wouldn’t the Fire Nation just use the info and either kill or capture them anyway?”

“Most definitely, but people like them never seem to realize they’re about to be double-crossed until it’s too late. They might be deluded into thinking that if they help the Fire Nation they’ll be spared. I seriously doubt that but they might not.” Hotaru replied. “This is futile, we’ll never figure out who the traitor is before the attack starts at this rate; and I’m not so sure it would make much of a difference anyway. Come on. We’d better go get into position.


	5. The Comet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment has arrived, the comet is in the sky and the Air Nomad's struggle for survival has begun.

Chapter 5: The Comet

A few hours later, the comet was about to reach them. The Air Nomads and their allies had waited all day, spent the few remaining hours fortifying the temple in every way they could think of, setting traps, using Bumi’s earthbending to make the terrain more difficult, and build extra walls around the temple itself. The younger children were safely hidden away in a cave, the entrance was blocked and their air shaft was invisible unless you already knew it was there. When they were as prepared as it was possible to be, they had, had nothing to do but wait. Now it was just about time. Everyone who was going to fight to defend the temple stood just inside the fortifications, ready to spring into action.

Even though they couldn’t yet see the comet, Hotaru, Master Fumio, and Kuzon could already feel it enriching them with its energy, their power as firebenders swelling up within them in a way that made Hotaru’s whole body surged with adrenaline. It was like nothing she had ever experienced in her fourteen years, it was so invigorating, but the realization that the navy’s firebenders were experiencing the same incredible power boost, one that would get even stronger when the comet finally came into view, was terrifying.

“Brace yourselves, everyone. It’s almost here!” Master Fumio Bellowed.

Then it happened, the Great Comet appeared in the sky, and with it, the Navy sent a large, flaming projectile flying at the temple, blasting a hole through the rock wall Bumi had placed around it. Within minutes the navy’s ships were on the beaches all around the Patola Mountains. The airbenders positioned themselves at strategic points above the winding path leading up to the temple, creating powerful blasts of wind to keep the soldiers back but there were just too many of them. There was no way they could fight them all off.

Shuhei heard the sound of the rock wall breaking apart, and saw several Fire Nation soldiers come through the hole it made. He ran as fast as his legs and bending would carry him “Get out!” he shouted, forcing them into the air with the swing of his staff, then he jumped up and swung it at them again, creating a gust that flung them off the mountain and into the ocean.

He’d only left his post for a minute, maybe less, but when he looked back more and more soldiers were coming in from the area where he’d been standing. “There! Get him! That must be the boy who threw our brothers into the sea!” One of them exclaimed. The man who spoke was wearing armor almost identical to Kuzon’s, and at his words, they let loose five fireblasts aimed right at Shuhei’’s head.

“I don’t think so,” Kuzon replied, jumping in between the men and Shuhei and blocking the fire-blasts by bracing his arms and legs.

“What are you doing cadet? He’s one of them, an Airbender!” demanded the same man who ordered the others to attack Shuhei.

“So sorry Commander, that Airbender is my friend. So I’ll have to deny your request.”

“Then you’re a traitor! Men, kill him.”

Shuhei didn’t give them the chance, he grabbed Kuzon’s arm and ran away, deep into the temple complex until they stood just outside the sanctuary. “What’s with that guy, why did he think you were with them?” Shuhei asked once they were safe.

“Probably because I’m wearing Fire Nation armor. Still, I’m surprised he didn't figure it out right away. He called me a cadet because of my age but a cadet wouldn’t normally be wearing this uniform. The dragon tooth spikes are only worn by commanders and higher. My dad is an admiral, this is his spare set.” Kuzon explained.

“Wait, didn’t you say your dad was leading this attack?”

“Yes,” Kuzon answered, turning away from him and hanging his head in shame. His hands balled into tight fists. “I can’t believe this.” He said in a voice that was barely audible. “My own father…”

“What he and his men are doing is awful, but you’re not with them. You’re on our side.” Shuhei reminded him.

“Hey, guys! We could use some help out here!” Malu shouted as she was thrown back by a fireblast, coming to land at the boys’ feet.

“Leave. Her. Alone!” Kuzon yelled, jumping between Malu and the soldier and kicking a powerful burst of flames in his direction.

With the soldier gone, the group ran toward the main entrance.

“If we really want to end this, I need to find my dad,” Kuzon explained as they ran. “He’’s leading these guys, so if I can somehow convince him to stop the attack, everyone who doesn’t belong here will leave.”

“You really think that’ll work?” Malu asked.

“Yes. I don’t know how I’ll get him to stop, but stopping him is the only way to stop all of this. You guys go find Hotaru and Bumi, protect the little kids and the elders. I gotta go see an admiral about a war.” Kuzon said, then he turned and headed back in the opposite direction.

***

Meanwhile, just inside the massive wooden doors that once marked the main entrance, and were now a smoldering pile of rubble, Hotaru found herself completely surrounded by fellow firebenders. She dodged a fireblast from one, and landed a roundhouse kick on another, knocking him to the ground and pulling the one next to him into the path of the fireblast she’d just dodged. “Is that all you’ve got?”

“If I were you, I’d keep my mouth shut you, little traitor!” Snapped the one she’ ’d knocked down, then out of the corner of her eye, she spied Monk Afiko standing near the archway into the dining hall, the firebenders seemed to spot him as well.

“Forget the girl. Get the monk!” Shouted the highest ranking among this particular group of firebenders. At his words, the soldiers ran after Monk Afiko.

“No!” Hotaru shouted, but before she could run after them, Monk Afiko used his airbending to throw her back against the wall. “What are you doing? You fool!” She got to her feet as fast as she could but by the time she did, they were gone. _Where’d they go? I’d better go after them._ She thought, staggering to her feet.

***

Kuzon finally found his father in the same gated courtyard where the council had held their meeting the day before. His father was tall, as wide as two of Kuzon, and pure muscle. His face was more sculpted and angular than his son’s. He was tan with golden eyes and dark brown hair in a top knot. The young firebender ran through the gate just in time to see him burning the five platforms the monks sat on during those meetings.

“Dad?” He said.

The Admiral spun round to look at him. “Kuzon? What are you doing here? You’re not old enough to come into battle with me.”

“That’s funny. I was about to ask what you’re doing here. Dad, I didn’t come here to fight alongside you. I came here to stop this attack.”

“What? Why?”

“Because this is wrong, and you know it. This is my friend’s home. I won’t let you destroy it and kill everyone here.”

“We are honor-bound to do what the Fire Lord asks of us. He’s decided that for us to proceed with sharing our prosperity with the world, the Air Nomads must end.”

Kuzon shot his father a dubious look. “You actually believe that? How exactly are we supposed to share our prosperity with the rest of the world by killing one-fourth of it off?”

“How dare you question Fire Lord Sozin?” the admiral demanded.

He looked down, refusing to meet his father’s eyes. His hands balled into fists so tight that his arms began to shake with rage as hot tears stung his eyes. “Fine. I was hoping I could talk you out of this. I hoped you would do the right thing if I just talked to you, but since that’s not gonna happen I guess there’s no other way. Dad, I challenge you to an Agni Kai, right here, right now, just you and me. If I win, you have to stop this, take the men, and leave the airbenders who live here in peace.”

“I accept, but win or lose, you are no longer my son.” The Admiral replied.

Kuzon was incensed at his father’s words, and let lose a fireblast so strong that it threw the older man back and set all the fruit trees, flowers, and ivy around them in the courtyard on fire.

Shocked that Kuzon would dare attack him, the Admiral hesitated, but when Kuzon moved in for a second strike, he was able to block and return it.

Kuzon jumped out of the way and ran toward his father. “Why are you doing this?” He asked as he sent another burst of flames flying at him.

“This is what I was ordered to do. Our loyalty belongs to the Fire Nation first, anything less is treason!”

“These people are my friends! I won’t let you hurt them!” Kuzon screamed.

The Admiral used their location’s limited space and his son’s proximity to gain the upper hand, letting loose a series of rapid-fire fire blasts that sent Kuzon flying until, unable to catch himself, he landed flat on his back and slid several more feet across the stone floor. Before Kuzon could scramble to his feet, his father leaped forward to land on top of him. “Traitors must be punished.” He replied grimly, summoning lightning from his fingertips.

***

Hotaru followed Monk Afiko through the dining hall to the temple kitchens. “Hey! Wait a minute, I can help you!” She yelled after him.

“No. You don’t understand, we’re all doomed!” He exclaimed.

“It was you!” Shuhei replied, coming in from the opposite doorway. “I knew it. How could you? What did you tell them?” he demanded.

“Easy Shuhei,” Hotaru cautioned. “One question at a time.” Then, she turned to glare at Monk Afiko. “Alright, start talking. You’ve got no place to run so you might as well fess up.”

“I didn’t tell them anything. I don’t know how they figured out how to find this place. On my last trip to the Fire Nation, an officer caught me listening in about their plans for today and threatened to kill me right then and there. I begged for my life, he asked what I could do to earn it. They made me sneak pieces of a bomb into the temple, a big one.”

“A bomb? You brought a bomb in here?!” Shuhei asked, dumbfounded.

“Where is it?” Hotaru demanded.

“In the cellar, any minute now it will explode and when it goes off, it will kill everyone who’s still inside the main building.”

“Then we have to get out of here!” Shuhei replied.

“I agree! Monk Afiko said, pushing past Hotaru and running back into the dining hall.

Hotaru and Shuhei sped after him but there was already someone blocking the door at the other end. It was Bumi. “Not so fast!” He said, calling up a large boulder out of the floor and kicking it toward Monk Afiko with both legs. Too late, he realized it dug a chunk out of one of the stone support pillars as it flew by, destabilizing the ceiling. “Uh oh,” Bumi said.

“Hotaru, look out!” Shuhei shouted, pushing her out of the way and jumping on top of her to protect her from falling debris.

Hotaru was on her stomach, with Shuhei above her on his hands and knees. When she slid out from under him and looked back, she saw a bunch of rubble lying right where she’d been standing. “Shuhei, you just saved my life.” She observed.

“Come on.” He replied, helping her to her feet. “We’ve got to get out of here, we have to completely evacuate the main building before that bomb goes off.

“He’s right, now let’s go, let’s go people!” Bumi urged.

“Wait a second guys, where are Kuzon and Malu?”

“Last time I saw Malu, she was tricking some firebenders into chasing their own tails,” Bumi said.

“Kuzon went to look for his dad. He figured that if he could get his dad to see how crazy this is, he might be able to convince him to stop, but it didn’t work. They’re fighting in a one on one duel in the elders’ courtyard.” Shuhei explained.

“He’s outside the building then, good. Let’s go.” Hotaru replied.

The three friends ran towards the exit but Hotaru stopped in her tracks a few yards from the open archway where the door had been.

“Hotaru! Come on! We have to go!” Shuhei shouted. Then he saw what she saw, a scared little boy sitting against the wall trying not to draw attention to himself. It was Jiku, one of the youngest trainees at the Southern Temple and one of the children Shuhei had escorted to the caves the day before. “Jiku?! What are you doing here? How’d you get out of the caves?” Shuhei asked. The little boy didn’t answer.

“There’s no time!” Hotaru reminded him, grabbing Jiku’s hand and pulling him along as the group moved a safe distance from the main building.

Outside, they found most of the firebenders retreating, being rounded up by Taiyo and sent flying by a slap of the dragon’s massive tail, but not all. A few of them had Malu cornered under a gazebo near the western wall. Rushing to her aid, Hotaru grabbed on to one of the support pillars and swung sideways under the gazebo, knocking two of them out and over the low stone wall outside, then she gave the third and fourth a few quick jabs before knocking them off the mountain with a low wave of flames she knew Malu could dodge but they’d have trouble getting away from in such a small space. That’s when they felt the ground rumble underneath them. Without thinking, Hotaru grabbed Malu by the arm and threw her out towards Shuhei. First, they heard a series of soft popping noises, then BANG! A huge blast of flames and smoke and debris and everything went dark.


	6. For Whom The Bell Tolls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that the fighting has stopped, Hotaru turns her attention to the injured. As the friends search through the rubble for survivors, who did they save? Who did they lose?

Chapter 6: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Hotaru came to in complete darkness, unsure of how long she’d been out or exactly where she was. All she knew was that the dome of one of the gazebos outside the western wall had fallen on top of her, the jagged remains of the four stone support pillars were all around her, she sliced her arm open on one of them as she fumbled around on her hands and knees for a way out. Grimacing, she squeezed the wound with her other hand, hissing in pain as she did so, as blood dripped down the sides of her injured arm. She could just barely hear someone calling her name over the loud ringing in her ears, but she couldn’t tell who it was, it sounded like it was coming from underwater. “I’m in here!” She shouted, not knowing if anyone could hear.

Suddenly, there was a faint rumbling as the dome began to tremble before bursting off the ground and being thrown off the side of the mountain.

“There you are!” Bumi said. “Been looking all over for ya.”

She forced herself up. Her whole body ached from being buried under rubble and her lungs burned from the smoke. She took a sharp breath in as Bumi helped her to her feet, only to find herself doubled over and wracked by a coughing fit.

“Are you alright?” Bumi asked.

“S-search for survivors,” Hotaru demanded.

“That doesn’t answer my question.” He replied.

“Don’t worry about me. Just find anybody that’s still alive. Gather them into two groups, those who are injured, and the uninjured.” She told him, but even as she did so, her arm throbbed. She did her best to ignore it, her own pain wasn’t her main concern.

Bumi, clearly having decided it was better not to press the issue, was finally doing as she’d asked and searching for anyone who might still be alive. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him running from person to person, checking for signs of life. Hotaru looked around, but she couldn’t see anyone who was still moving. The majority of the main building seemed to be structurally intact, but the air was foggy with ash and stank with the salty, metallic scent of blood, never a good sign. Then, Shuhei staggered out from behind a stone pillar, the left half of his torso and left arm were severely burned; so much so that Hotaru couldn't believe he was still standing. Then again, he was leaning heavily on the pillar for support.

She ran over to him, put his good arm over her shoulder, and brought him over to a low stone wall framed by two pillars with minimal damage. “Shuhei, what happened to you?”

“That bomb happened! I went down towards the cellar. I thought I could disarm it, but I barely made it back inside before it went off.” Shuhei hissed, gritting his teeth in pain.

“Here, let me help you.” Hotaru offered, conjuring up a golden, glowing sphere of energy.

“Hotaru!” Bumi yelled, running toward them just as she was about to heal Shuhei. “I found Gyatso and Master Fumio, they’re alive but just barely. They need help, now. I don’t even think it’s safe to move them first!”

Hotaru’s eyes widened, her entire body tensed but she didn’t move. After all, Shuhei was also seriously injured, and he was right in front of her. Was it right for her to leave without healing him?

“Hotaru, I’ll be alright. It sounds like they’re worse off than I am, go.” Shuhei said, seeing her hesitation.

She nodded and followed Bumi to one of the outbuildings on the western side of the temple. Inside, she found Gyatso and Master Fumio laying on their backs next to each other. One look at them, and she knew she had to act fast. Their breathing was labored and shallow, and both men had a grayish tint to their skin that told her they weren't getting enough oxygen. She conjured up another sphere of her own chi and brought in down on Gyatso’s body. What she felt when her chi made contact with his, wasn’t good. The old man wasn't just hurt, his heart had been severely damaged and his life force was fading fast. She used the chi she’d infused into him to direct what little he had left into repairing his heart, but it wasn’t enough. He was dying faster than she could stabilize him. “Come on, Gyatso! Don’t die on me. Fight back, you have to. Your people need you! Aang needs you!” Hotaru shouted.

Gyatso opened his eyes and met her gaze. He was extremely weak, but still in there.

“There you go, that’s it.” She told him. Her eyes ached as tears swelled up in them and rolled down her cheeks, there was a lump rising in her throat, making it difficult to speak. “Just hang in there.” She continued, not daring to stop or slow the healing process for an instant. Then she felt a cold, bony, wrinkly hand, grab her arm, she looked and saw that it was Gyatso. “Good, if you’ve still got the strength to move at all, there’s still a chance I can fix this.”

Gyatso tugged weakly on the arm he’d managed to grab, forcing Hotaru to look him in the eye, and when she did, he stared at her with an intensity, unlike anything she’d felt before. _Don’t waste your energy on me. Focus on saving the ones you can save._

She could feel it too, he wasn’t fighting. He was letting go, and she knew that if he gave up, there was nothing she could do. “No, no, no…… I can’t just let you die! I won’t! We need you, Aang needs you!” She shouted through tears, her voice breaking. Every muscle in Hotaru’s body was rigid. Her heart sank as she watched Gyatso’s eyes close and felt the last of the old monk’s life-force leave his body. “Wake up! Wake up!” She screamed, grabbing his robes and shaking him desperately, but to no avail, he was gone. Hotaru doubled over and sobbed.

“Ho…tar…u?” Master Fumio moaned.

“Master! Thank goodness!” Hotaru replied, wiping away her tears and immediately setting to work on Master Fumio’s injuries. He wasn’t in as bad of shape, but the situation was still dire. He was barely breathing. “It’s going to be alright Master, stay with me, don't close your eyes, just stay right here.” She whispered, barely able to see through her own tears.

“Hotaru…” Master Fumio whispered. “I’m so sorry,” his voice was barely audible, “I never meant to… l-leave you like this.”

“Don’t talk like that. I’m going to get you out of this. Just hold on, fight it long enough for me to heal you.”

“H-Hotaru, it’s over.” Master Fumio whispered, his breathing growing more and more shallow by the minute. “D-don’t waste your energy on me.”

“It’s not a waste!” Hotaru exclaimed. “I can’t lose you too!”

“Th-there are others, ones who are younger than us and haven’t been injured as badly. They must take priority.”

“Master, please don’t go!” Hotaru demanded, sobbing.

“Now, now, no tears, not for this old man. There’s so much I wanted to teach you, I thought we had more time. T-take care of the others. Get yourselves to safety, then find Aang. He’’s… the only one who can stop what Sozin started today. Remember this Hotaru, I should’ve told you this years ago but, I think of you as my own.” He told her, and with that, she felt the last of his chi drain from his body. His eyes were still open, but he had stopped breathing, what once had been a loving and wise old man, was just an empty shell.

For a moment, Hotaru just sat there in shock, with tears streaming down her face. As the adrenaline faded from her body, her muscles started to feel heavy with exhaustion. She was drenched in sweat, her skin was cold and clammy, the gash on her arm was still bleeding. The battle and her failed efforts to save Monk Gyatso and Master Fumio had taken their toll, but there was still much more she had to do. Maybe she couldn’t save them, but maybe she could still heal Shuhei and the rest of the injured. She staggered to her feet and made her way back toward the main building. Every move, every step she took made her entire body ache, but she kept going, she couldn’t, wouldn't allow herself to fail anyone else.

When she was a little over halfway there, Bumi ran up to her. “Hotaru, there you are!”

“I’m coming Bumi, tell Shuhei I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She told him as he put her arm over his shoulder so they could move a little faster.

“Actually, ya see, the thing about that…”

“Bumi, what?”

“Ya know how you told me to look for survivors?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Good news and bad news, the good news is that I found Malu and she’s a little banged up but mostly ok.”

“So what’s the bad news?”

“The bad news is that I found her sitting next to Kuzon, and he’s very much not ok,” Bumi explained.

“Worse than Shuhei?”

Bumi nodded. “Way worse than Shuhei.”

Hotaru’s eyes went wide, No! Not again! I won’t lose anyone else! “Then take me there,” She replied. “Now.”

Bumi sped up and brought Hotaru to the courtyard where Kuzon had challenged his father. Inside, Kuzon was lying unconscious on the ground; the battle armor he was wearing made it hard to tell whether he was breathing or not, even though his breastplate had been removed and was sitting off to the side. He looked absolutely still. Malu was kneeling over him, frantically pushing into his chest with both hands at a steady rate.

Hotaru ran over to them and knelt at Kuzon’s side, gently pushing Malu out of the way and picking up where she left off, seconds ticked by like hours until finally she felt his heart beating once more, and summoned up another ball of healing energy. As she waved the sphere up and down his body, she gained an idea of what she was dealing with. His collarbone was snapped on one side, two of his ribs had been reduced to dust, his left shoulder blade was in pieces, his leg was broken in two places, and that was just the beginning. They’d gotten his heart to start again, but it was beating haphazardly, dangerously out of rhythm. Something had done a lot of damage to it. Hotaru knew that that had to be her first concern, all his other injuries would be painful, but they would heal with time. If she didn’t act fast, this would kill him. She drew what little chi he had left to his heart and directed it to start repairing it, but all it did was swirl around it. Assuming there simply wasn’t enough, and even though she didn’t have much energy left herself, she poured what little of her own she could spare into Kuzon’s body. It didn’t help.

“Come on Kuzon, don’t you die on me! Open your eyes!” Hotaru screamed.

As though in response, his eyes did open part of the way, but they were dull, glassy, and unfocused.

“This wasn’t your fault you know, none of it was,” Hotaru assured him. “You didn’t cause any of this, and standing up to your dad like that? Kuzon, you’re a hero.”

He was slipping away, Hotaru could feel it, his heart was slowing down, in a few minutes it would give out entirely and Kuzon would be…gone. I _t’s not working, why isn't it working?!_ This can’t be happening! She thought as she tried desperately to pour more of her own chi into his body. She grit her teeth in pain as the gash on her arm burned and stung like it was getting deeper. _I can’t do it, I can’t do it. I don’t have anything left to give, I’m not going to be able to save him._ She stopped trying to heal him, swaying, almost keeling over from exhaustion but managed to steady herself.

She tried to keep her composure, to be strong, for Kuzon and for Bumi and Malu, both of whom she knew were still watching, but she just couldn’t take it anymore. She let out a single, tortured sob. Then, gaining control of herself again, she thought of a way she could at least make death a little less scary for the young firebender. She took his hand in hers. “Kuzon, if you can still hear me, squeeze my hand.” She said.

He squeezed.

_Good, he’s still in there._ Hotaru thought. Then she started to sing in a voice that was as soft and as gentle as she could muster. “Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile tiny shells, drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home, brave soldier boy, come marching home. These leaves did fall from branches overgrown, drifting slowly down resting all alone. Little soldier boy, driven from his home, forced to fight a war, that is not his own. Little soldier boy, come marching home, brave soldier boy, come marching, come marching home. Leaves fell that night when everything was silent. No one dared to make a sound, they just stood there quiet. The little soldier boy, found his way back home. That brave soldier boy, came marching home.” 


	7. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuhei, Malu, and Hotaru are still licking their wounds and mourning the loss of many of their friends when Hotaru uncovers a secret that gives the search for Aang new urgency.

Chapter 7: Aftermath

Shuhei woke with a jolt, for a few seconds he had no idea where he was, or how long he’d been asleep. For a few seconds, it seemed like the attack on the temple had all been an unusually vivid nightmare. Then he felt the tightness that reminded him that almost half his body was wrapped in bandages. He made the mistake of putting his other hand on his injured shoulder to remind himself it was real. That simple, gentle touch, set off a wave of pain that moved through the entire burned area. It was so intense that he felt like he was going to throw up. He fell back onto his uninjured side, on a bed that was much softer than he was used to. The room, and the whole house, was made of wood, a wooden floor, and wooden paneling on the walls. There were bedside tables made of a darker wood on either side of the bed, and a matching chest of drawers on the other side of the room. This looked nothing like his room at the temple. When he looked down at himself, he saw that his temple clothing had been replaced by loose-fitting, plain white robes, under which, his injured torso and arm were carefully wrapped in bandages. That’s when he remembered where he was, at Hotaru’s house on Doragonzu Island, and what had happened to bring him there.

_That’s right, it was all real…_ he thought to himself. He looked out the window into a bright, sunny, summer day. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, a total contrast from the churning storm of grief, guilt, pain, and listlessness that was weighing him down. Almost a week had passed since the attack, and he still saw every detail of the chaos and bloodshed every time he closed his eyes.

Suddenly, the relative silence was broken by a knock at the door. “Shuhei, it’s me, Hotaru. Are you awake? Can I come in?” She asked.

“Yeah, come in,” he replied, sitting up, more carefully this time, and swinging his long legs over so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed by the time the door opened.

“Good morning!” Hotaru told him, clearly trying to sound more cheery than she really was, probably for his benefit. “How do you feel?”

“Well, I can move now, sort of, but it still hurts,” he admitted.

Hotaru’s smile tightened like she was straining herself not to frown at his words. “Well, you were hurt pretty badly and it’s been less than a week. For an injury like this to heal naturally, that’s gonna take some time,” she reminded him, and that’s where her good mood ended. He watched as her smile faded and she averted her gaze, her eyes moving to one side.

Then Shuhei remembered that she had been injured too. “Speaking of which, how’s the arm?”

“It’s healing. Still, that’s not important. Shuhei, I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to heal you at the temple. Maybe now I could just…”

“No,” he said.

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I know how your healing powers work. I know that your own injuries won’t heal if you keep healing other people. Bumi said that at the temple it actually seemed to make that gash on your arm worse. So no. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I won’t let you hurt yourself to help me.”

Then something strange happened. She didn’t reply, she just stared at the floor, biting her lip, her fists balled and shaking. “You think I care?” She asked in a loud voice, raising her head to look at him once more, with a look in her eyes like a wounded animal. “I don’t care what it does to me. I just don’t wanna lose anyone else! First my parents, then my sister, then Aang, then, when Monk Gyatso, Master Fumio, and Kuzon all needed me I couldn’t save them!”

Shuhei stood up and stepped closer, his arms outstretched, ready to pull her into a comforting embrace. “Hotaru, calm down. I’m sorry. I just don't want you to get hurt even more than you already are,” he said softly.

“I already told you. As long as our friends, the ones we have left anyway, including you, are alright, I don’t care what happens to me anymore.”

Shuhei stiffened, realizing that there was more to this than just her concern for him. “Hotaru, don’t think I don’t know why you’re acting like this. You’re upset about how things went down at the temple. I’m not happy about it either, believe me, but it’’s not your fault. You’re a good healer, but you were already hurt yourself, and you were spread too thin. Monk Gyatso, Master Fumio, Kuzon, each of them needed you at full strength if they were going to survive, but there were three of them and a very tired one of you. That’s why you couldn’t save them.”

She didn’t say another word, she just looked at him like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing and stomped out, slamming the door behind her.

***

Malu was waiting outside the door when Hotaru came out into the hallway.

“How’s he doing?” Malu asked.

“I don’t understand why he won’t just let me help him!” Hotaru exclaimed.

“Because he knows what it could do to you if he does,” Malu replied. “He just doesn't want you to get hurt,” she said, but she could tell that Hotaru had stopped listening.

She watched in confusion as Hotaru’s expression changed from frustration to something bordering on excitement.

“I have an idea!” She said, running down the stairs.

“Hotaru, wait!” Malu replied running after her. “What’s your idea?”

“You’ll see,” Hotaru replied as she disappeared into another room.

Malu followed, staying there the past few days was the first time she had been to Hotaru’s house, so she still wasn’t sure where, or what, everything was. She found her in a room that looked like a library, with shelves full of books and scrolls lining the walls. Towards the center of the room, there was a large, low, rectangular table with a sporadic collection of non-matching cushions surrounding it on all sides. Hotaru was up on a ladder, reading the spines of some of the books on the upper shelves. Malu wanted to ask her what she was looking for but thought better of distracting her when she was balanced on a ladder about twelve feet in the air.

“Here it is!” she finally said, grabbing a book off the second shelf from the top and sliding down the ladder. “Oh, hey Malu, what’s up?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing. You said you had an idea, what was it?” The young airbender asked.

Hotaru set the book on the table. “Well, Shuhei won’t let me use my powers to help him right?”

“Right, because it can have a negative effect on you and you’re already hurt,” Malu reminded her.

“Well, what if I don’t need my power to help him? What if I can speed up his healing process without using it?”

“Now that sounds like a plan, and I’m guessing you’ve already thought of a way,” Malu replied.

“Just a general idea. I don’t know exactly what I need to do, but that’s why I grabbed this book. This is my family’s old library. Herbal medicine was a talent of my mom’s. She had quite a few books on the subject, this being one of them. Maybe there’s something in here that’ll help Shuhei.” She explained as she started turning pages. “If there is, I’ll get what I need to make it from the market.”

“You haven’t left the house since we got here. Are you sure that’s a good idea? What if someone on this island knows what you did at the temple?

“I was planning to go there soon anyway and get you guys some Fire Nation clothes. That way you can go into town without being noticed,” she replied, never taking her eyes off the book. “We can’t leave until Shuhei’s in better shape to travel and Bumi gets back here with Taiyo. The less suspicious we appear until that happens, the better.”

“True, but let me ask you something. Do you really think it was a good idea to send Bumi to take your dragon to bring the little kids from the temple to the Earth Kingdom where the rest of the refugees are hiding out?”

“It might not have been the best plan in the world,” Hotaru admitted; “but we needed to get them out somehow and a sky bison would’ve been way too conspicuous. No Fire Nation soldier would think twice about seeing a dragon.”

“I guess you’re right,” Malu agreed. “So, anything useful in there?” She asked, pointing to the book.

“Actually yeah, there are several useful remedies in here,” she answered, carefully folding the edges of the pages she needed. “There are some that are meant to be applied to the injured skin and others that are meant to work internally. There’s even a couple that would help heal my arm. I’m just gonna make a batch of the most potent of each type.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Malu replied.

Hotaru stood up, went and grabbed her money pouch and a shopping basket, taking the book with her. “I shouldn’t be gone more than a couple of hours. Keep an eye on Shuhei and whatever you do, don’t go outside. Without disguises, you’re both in danger every time you step outside that door. So just stay in the house, wait for me, and don’t answer the door for anyone. There’s rice and vegetables in the root cellar under the floor in the kitchen if you get hungry. The hatch is in front of the stove.”

“Hotaru…”

“What?” Hotaru asked.

“You wore that yukata at the temple. You might wanna change. I don’t think it’s a good idea to wear that in public, someone might recognize you.”

Hotaru sighed. “You’re right, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Went up to her room and came back wearing a red yukata with dragons embroidered on it in gold thread. “Malu, I mean it. Stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said as she headed for the front door.

“I know, just, be careful ok?”

“Always,” she promised.

***

The Inouye family estate was located in a wooded area a few miles outside the only town on Doragonzu Island, a sleepy little town with fewer than two-thousand people and just a single marketplace. It took Hotaru roughly half an hour to make it down the winding dirt path out of the woods and down the steep hillside at the edge of town. Along the way, she kept a sharp eye out for any soldiers but didn’t see any.

She stopped dead in her tracks at the spot where the path of dark, volcanic dirt, gave way to the cobblestone of the main road. Get it together Hotaru. You’re just an ordinary citizen minding your own business. You’re just here to buy medicine and a couple of new outfits. If they ask what the herbs are form you’ll tell them your arm was injured in a training accident. You can do this. You’ve lived in this town for years. As long as you act like everything is normal, there’’s no reason for anyone here to question you. She told herself.

She went to the herbology shop first. It was run by an old woman named Kaede. She was tiny and her weathered face and graying black hair gave her a tired appearance, but Hotaru knew she was a force to be reckoned with. Her shop was a large dome that served both as a shop and her herb garden.

“Hi, Kaede,” Hotaru said as she walked in.

“Well this is a nice surprise, Hotaru, it’s been a while. What can I do for you my dear?”

“I need the ingredients for these…” Hotaru replied, showing her the pages she’d marked.

“Oh, I see,” the old woman replied, staring at the bandages on Hotaru’s arm. “Hurt yourself did you? You know I could just whip these up for you,” she said as she started gathering the requested ingredients.

“I appreciate it, but I’d rather make them myself if you don’t mind,” Hotaru told her.

“Just like your mother, even before she really knew what she was doing, she always insisted on making everything herself,” Kaede said with a smile as she gathered the ingredients. “Alright, here you are dear,” she said a few minutes later, handing Hotaru a sack full of plants, jars of honey, and a package of small eggs.

“Thanks so much for your help,” Hotaru replied, bowing respectfully and leaving the shop.

Next she went to a clothing shop on the edge of town to get Fire Nation disguises for Malu and Shuhei, fortunately, neither one had earned the light blue arrow tattoos that marked a master airbender, which would make it a lot easier to hide in plain sight. The shop was dimly lit with few windows, most of the walls were covered by shelves with stacks of folded clothing

She was holding up a red dress she thought Malu might like when she saw some soldiers outside the shop. It’s ok, just act natural. There’s no reason to panic. You're just an ordinary girl who wanted some new clothes, nothing to see here, She thought to herself. The more she watched them though, the less it seemed like they were even paying attention. After choosing the clothes she was going to buy and paying for them, she heard them talking as though no one else was around.

She stopped just inside the door without opening it and listened carefully.

“I’m telling you, the whole place was deserted! It was like they knew we were coming,” one of them said.

“Well I don’t know what the Fire Lord expected, it’s not easy to sneak up on a mountain, especially with heavy machinery that makes all kinds of noise. I don’t know why he’s so bent on taking out the Air Nomads in the first place.”

“Don’t you know? He’s trying to eliminate the next avatar. No one knows who it is, not enough years have passed since Avatar Roku’s death, but the one thing we do know is that he or she would have been born into the Air Nomads shortly after Avatar Roku’s death. Anyway, I’m sure we’ll find him, or her.”

Hotaru couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her breath caught in her throat, her hands were shaking. Every hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Aang may not have been at the temple during the attacks, but he was still in danger, he was their target! Worse, even she had no idea where he was. This was a nightmare on top of the nightmare that the past two weeks had been. She waited until the soldiers had moved on before slipping out the door and back up the trail to her house.

***

When she got home, she found Malu in the library, perched on top of a table and playing her erhu. Hotaru was struck by the beauty of the music but for some reason, the sound of it made her eyes fill with tears. Not wanting it to end, she stayed outside the library door for a few minutes and just listened. “Hey, I’m back.” She said, knocking softly on the library door to announce her presence when Malu finally stopped playing.

Malu looked up and set her erhu down on the table. “Hey, how’d it go? Did you find what we needed?”

“Yep. Where’s Shuhei?”

“Upstairs, meditating. He says it hurts less when he’s meditating.”

“I don’t know how, but ok… I’m gonna get started, hopefully, in a couple of hours, we’ll have some medicine that can heal him a little faster. Before I get started on that though, I have something for you,” Hotaru told her, taking the dress out of her bag. “Look at this…”

Malu got up and took it from her excitedly. “It’s beautiful!”

“It’s yours. I’m gonna get started, go try it on.”

With the first genuine smile Hotaru had seen from her since the attacks, Malu nodded and ran upstairs.

***

Later that evening, after everyone had eaten and Hotaru had successfully made the medicine from her mother’s book, she brought it, and a roll of bandages to Shuhei’s room. She knocked but he didn’t answer, when she went inside she found him sitting in the lotus position with his back against the side of the bed. “Hey, Shuhei, snap out of it,” she told him.

His gray eyes opened and his body relaxed. “Oh, hi Hotaru… listen, about earlier, I’m sorry about what I said this morning.”

“Don’t be. You’re right. There were three people who needed all of me, and only one me. Now, get on top of the bed, and let’s get those bandages off of you.”

He sighed heavily but did as he was told. “Why do we have to do this every night?” he asked as she sat beside him and started removing the day-old bandages to reveal the severe burns on his arm, side, and back. They were still a bright, angry red, the skin was almost completely gone in places, and even after six days, Hotaru could still feel the heat radiating off of them from several inches away.

“Do you want this to get even worse? No? Then that’s why, but tonight I have something that might make it less painful.” She told him.

Before replacing the old bandages with new, she gently dabbed on a blue paste she’d made from some of the herbs she’d bought in town. At first, Shuhei winced, but within a minute or two, it seemed to relieve some of the pain.

“Ohhh… that feels… good. What is that?”

“It’s just some medicine I found the recipe for in one of my mom’s old books. It’’s supposed to take the heat out of burns and help them heal faster. Since you won’t let me just heal you, I found another way, She explained.

“Well, it seems like it works. Thank you, Hotaru.”

“Your welcome,” she replied as she finished applying the paste and switched to replacing the bandages.

“Say, Hotaru, can I ask you about something?” He asked.

“Sure, what is it?”

“What am I gonna do about Malu?”

“What do you mean?”

“She still doesn’t know what I did, you know, to Aang… when she finds out, she’’s gonna hate me,” he said. “I would hate me too if I were in her place.”

Hotaru sighed. “I doubt she’ll hate you, but she does have a right to be angry about it. The one thing you have going for you is that that was totally unlike you. She knows that. She’ll be upset, but after a while, when she realizes how sorry you are for that and the whole mess it helped create, I think it’ll be ok,” she assured him.

She used her firebending to destroy the used bandages and stood up with her back to Shuhei. “We should both get some sleep. Bumi will be back with my dragon any day, and once he is, we should move on if we can,” She said, and with that she left the room, closing the door behind her.


End file.
